Close but no cigar.
In the morning I usually wake up to Scott Van Pelt and Karl Ravech explaining what kind of bowel movement T.O. had last night. But instead an infomercial with The Dream Offer bounced up on my screen. It looks like a poor-man’s Girls Gone Wild video and magazine free after you pay only the shipping and handling of course. Think the wife would love a subscription for Christmas?
I do.
CENSORED, TOO HOT FOR TV, flashed across the bodies of these young ladies. How about taking down those words across their chests and letting me decide if it too hot for TV. Women even tease men through a freckin commercial at 4:30am, sigh. It certainly woke me up since the bowl of Kix didn’t do the trick.
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The almost porn reminded me of the almost cashes I had last night while finishing off my self-indulging tournament challenge.
I was satisfied for the first time about my play and the results. Granted I did not cash, but I made it deep into both tournaments that I attempted last night. I managed another nut-nut hand with a straight flush three thru seven and a wheel, but it came early in the tourney, not late when I spent nearly an hour posting and folding due to the horrible cards. When I did try to steal it was met with resistance and bad flops, forcing me to cut and run. I’ve been battling a cold/flu/my head is ringing bug for the past week, so I limited the tourney play to two last night.
This challenge to myself was to journal how much I was losing entering these tournaments as well as post how I’m losing. Granted everyone who’s ever played poker has bad beat stories of woe and despair, but this enabled me to get on black and white my results of my woe and despair. The results are not pretty, but they are honest. There’s no sense in sugar-coating results if you’re trying to learn from your mistakes.
Day 7:
PokerStars PLO8 $10 + $1
PokerStars LO8 $20 + $2 (6 – max tables)
PokerStars PLO8 $10 + $1: My favorite game, so I felt confident that a cash would come my way… until I was left with $234 chips with blinds at $50/$100. Rough start? But, instead of an “aw fuck it” type attitude I took my chip-and-a-chair and managed to win a few all-ins to get to par by the $200/$400 level with nearly T5000 in chips. Rawr. Two ill-advised blind steals went for naught as the chip leaders were ready to call with powerhouse hands like 5677 and 48TJ, unfortunately I didn’t feel my 52:48 edge was enough to take a shot. I opted to try to steal later with 4BBs left with 2466 double suited in late position, but the big blind woke up with a playable hand and knocked me out. Out 32nd out of 277 (27 places paid).
PokerStars LO8 $20 + $2 (6 - max): Stick figure extraordinaire THG joined me for this one. Shorthanded LO8 is a different beast, but the players again were horrible at best. Early on I was lucky enough to have a short bus rider gift me his stack when he failed to read the Omaha rule book concerning the use of two cards from your hand in relation to the board. Broadway was spread across the board, we capped the turn and river, being a nut sitter, I already hit broadway on the turn AQJT showing, his hand? K874. Thank you sir, you have been tagged for the cash games. I’d expect this play at a $1 - $5 tourney, but a $20 tourney???
Oy.
I went card dead for a long time, also got tangled up in a battle of the blinds with a second nut hand for the high and low, when the SB woke up with a nut-nut hand. Ouch. I ended up pushing with K236 and someone woke with suited aces, the board flopped a flush for her, and left blue balls for me. Out 23rd out of 177 (18 places paid).
Final Results of the Tournament Challenge:
Total amount spent (overall): -$341.50
Total amount won (overall): +$83.56
Cash game winning/loses: +$310.00
Balance: +$52.06
Tournament experience plus and a nice sesame chicken dinner for two at P.F. Chang’s. Not a bad way to gain some experience. I know I’ll goof up on calculating these stats, if I do, just correct my helmet wearing self.
Finishes:
PokerStars $20 + $2 SnG: 73 out of 180 (finished 40.5%)
FullTilt $10 + $1 MTT: 234 out of 396 (finished 59.1%)
FullTilt $24 + $2 MTT: 28 out of 54 (finished 51.9%)
PokerStars $20 + $2 SnG: 53 out of 180 (finished 29.4%)
FullTilt $10 + $1 MTT: 13 out of 60 (finished 21.7%)
PartyPoker $5 + $.50 Shootout: 8th out of 10 (finished 80%)
FullTilt $5 + $.50 MTT: 6 out of 30 (finished 20%)
FullTilt $24 + $2 MTT: 102 out of 243 (finished 42%)
PokerStars $10 + $1 MTT: 19 out of 98 (finished 19.4%)
FullTilt $20 $2 MTT: 10 out of 56 (finished 17.9%)
PokerStars $10 + $1: 83 out of 126 (finished 65.9%)
FullTilt $5 + $.50: 46 out of 81 (finished 56.8%)
FullTilt $24 + $2: 17 out of 123 (finished 13.8%)
FullTilt $10 + $1: 11 out of 30 (finished 36.7%)
PokerStars $20 + $2: 83 out of 180 (finished 46.1%)
PokerStars $15 + $1: 3 out of 9 (finished 33.3%)
PokerStars $20 + $2: 83 out of 180 (finished 46.1%)
FullTilt $20 + $2: 5 out of 9 (finished 55.5%)
PokerStars $10 + $1: 2 out of 9 (finished 22.2%)
PokerStars $20 + $2: 23 out of 177 (finished 13%)
PokerStars $10 + $1: 32 out of 277 (finished 11.6%)
Add and dividing gives me an approximate combined placement in the top 37% overall (if you’re a math wizard, I’m sure I got the calculations incorrect) of the 21 tournaments entered in this week. Yes, I suck. Granted the $300+ could have been spent more wisely on say… lap dances in Vegas next month. But, the cash games were kind enough to me this week to give me a scholarship to Tournaments for Dummies 101 and 102.
What now?
I’ll be keep tournaments as leisurely thing to do for now when the cash games fill up with too many nut peddlers like myself and the occasional last longer bets with bloggers (this is something I specialize in winning however). I chronicled several bad beats and the like, but there’s something missing from my tournament play that might be filled by purchasing Harrington’s second book that I’ve heard people raving about.
Until then you’ll find me at the PLO8 cash game tables calculating my odds with my shoes off.
Thanks for dropping by, I will be in my semi-final match with PokerTwitch tonight for the Heads Up Challenge on UB around 8pm central. Drop by to marvel in my weak-tight play if you dare.
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